Harp attachment for banjos.



N0. 670,049. Patented Mar. I9, I'QOL A. A. FARLAND.

HARP ATTACHMENT FOR BANJOS.

(Application led May 29, 1900.)

(No Model.)

/N VEA/70H 2kg/? ATTORNEYS W/TNESSES f' UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ALFRED A. FARLAND, OF RAIIVVAY, NEVI JERSEY.

HARP ATTACHMENT FOR BANJOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,049, dated March 19, 1 901.

Application filed May 29, 1900. Serial No. 18.369. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t may con/007%:

Beit known that I, ALFRED A. FARLAND, a subject ofthe Queen of Great Britain,resid ing at Rahway, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harp Attachments for Banjos,of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is an improvement on that described and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 584,467, granted to me June 15, 1897; and the object thereof is to provide an attachment for banjos whereby the character of the tone thereof may be changed whenever desired or the full or banjo tone changed to minor tones or tones similar to those of a harp.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by the same reference characters in each of the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a back view of the drum of a banjo provided with my improvement; Fig. 2, a partial section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a partial section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 a side view of the main part of the attachment which I employ detached from the banjo.

In the drawings forming part of this speciiication I have shown an ordinary banjo comprising a drum 7, having a head 7, the usual neck 7", and the usual cross-brace 8, and in the practice of my invention I mount above the cross-brace 8 and near the rear end thereof an attachment consist-in g of a yoke-shaped device 9, the sides of which project upwardly, said yoke-shaped device being also provided with a hollow screw-threaded shank 10, which passes downwardly through the brace 8 and on which is screwed a sleeve 1l, provided with ahead 12. The shank 10 and sleeve 11 when in position, as shown in Fig. 2, extend entirely through the brace 8, and the sides of the yoke-shaped attachment 9 are provided at their lower outer corners with laterallyprojecting fingers 13, with which are connected transverse elastic cords 14, which fit in transverse notches or recesses 15, formed in the downwardly-directed side arms 1G of a bridge 17, adapted to press on the head 7 of the banjo, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The central upper portion of the bridge 17 is out out, as shown at 18, and connected with the ends thereof, as shown at 19, is a flexible strip 20, of any desired material, which is designed to prevent the material of the bridge 17,which is preferably composed of wood, from coming in direct contact with the head of the banjo. rlhe central lower portion of the bridge is also cut out, as shown at 21, and connected with the body portion ofthe bridge,centrally thereof, is a downwardly-directed attaching device 22, by means of which a flexible cord 23 is connected with the central portion of the bridge, said cord being passed downwardly through the screw-threaded shank lO and the sleeve 11 and out through the head 12 of said sleeve, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As thus constructed it will be seen that the bridge 17 is free to move vertically, and in the operation of the device, as hereinafter` described, said bridge is held in contact with the head 7a of the drum 7 of the banjo by means of the elastic cords 14.

The cord 23 is carried diagonally across the drum and over a pulley 23, mounted in a bracket 23 and secured to the arm 24 of a spring-plate 25, pivotally connected at 26 with a bracket 27, secured to the drum 7, as shown at 28. The plate 25 projects below the edge of the drum and is provided with a thumbpiece 29, and the bottom portion of said plate is also preferably segmental in form.

Secured to the bracket 231 is a downwardlydirected attachment 30, beneath the lower end of which the arm 24 of the plate 25 passes when said plate is in its highest position or when it is depressed to remove the bridge 17 from the head of the drum, and this is the normal position of the parts or the position which the parts assume when the natural tone of the banjo is desired, and whenever it is .desired to change the tone of the banjo or produce what has hereinbefore been described the harp-tone the plate 25 is manipulated so as to disconnect the arm 24 thereof from the IOO attachment 30, when said plate will assume the position shown in Fig. -lby reason of the operation of the elastic cords 14, which force the bridge 17 upwardly against the head of the drum.

The bridge 17 constitutes in effect a mufiler, and when in contact with the head of the drum the minor or harp tones are produced, and in order to remove the bridge from the head of the drum the springplate 25 is raised, so that the arm 24 thereof engages with the lower end of the attachment 30.

The opening in the head 12 of the sleeve 11, through which the cord 23 passes, is beveled, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to permit of the free movement of said cord, and it will be appan entthat Ithe pulley 23 is not absolutely essential, as other forms of construction may be employed, and other changes in and modifications of the construction herein described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

My improvement is Well adapted to accomplish the result for which it is intended and is also comparatively inexpensive, and by means thereof the tone of a banjo may be changed at will.

Having fully described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A banjo the drum of which is provided with the usual crossbrace, a yoke-shaped attachment connected with said brace and projecting` upwardly in the direction of the head of the drum, a muffler mounted in said yoke-shaped attachment and connected therewith by elastic cords, by which it is normally pressed against the head of the drum and devices fer depressing` said mul'lier against the operation of said elastic cords, substantially as shown and described.

2. An attachment for banjos, consisting of a yoke-shaped support connected with the cross-brace of the drum and projecting from said brace in the direction of the head of the drum, said support being provided with a hollow shank which passes through said brace, a bridge or muflier in said yoke-shaped attachment connected therewith by elastic cords which normally cause it to bear on the head of the drum, a cord connected with said bridge or muffler and passing through the attachment and the shank thereof, and devices connected with the side of the drum with which said cord is connected for operating said bridge or muffler against the tension of said elastic cords, substantially as shown and described.

3. A banjo the drum of which is provided with the usual cross-brace, a yoke-shaped attachment connected with said brace and projecting upwardly in the direction of the head of the drum, a bridge or muffler mounted in said yoke-shaped attachment, elastic devices for forcing' the bridge or muffler into contact with the head of the drum, and other devices for withdrawing said bridge or lnulller from said contact, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 2li-th day of May, 1900.

ALFRED A. FARLAND.

/Vitnesses:

M. A. MARTIN, EDWARD FARLAND. 

